the 2016 Musicians

the Alternators

This high-energy acoustic duo consists of fiddle wizard Peter Evasic and his accomplice, George Radebaugh on accordion. They play a mix of Irish, Zydeco, Gypsy, Django swing and the list goes on. They have played a great deal of festivals, weddings, performance spaces around western Washington and are guaranteed to get your inner dancer moving even if you sit there nonchalantly sipping a micro brew. If not, then they have a list of local psychological counselors to help get over your mental block. Either way you win!

Duo Finelli

Duo Finelli is two funny ladies performing vaudeville-style circus comedy on accordion and ukulele. They are based in Seattle, and love to travel the world, performing clown shows in The United States, Mexico, and Canada. Molly and Luz met at the San Francisco Clown Conservatory in 2004, and since then have been creating original works of classic comedy for festivals, variety shows, street shows, and theatres. They’ve also perform with the organization Clowns Without Borders in Nicaragua, Greece, and Lebanon. duofinelli.com

The Mad Maggies

Hard to Describe, Easy to Love
The Mad Maggies kick up some dust with their own style of danceable world folk rock fusion. They swerve effortlessly from ska to swing, from Cajun/Zydeco to R&B, from polka to the high seas and beyond, spanning genres, criss-crossing musical borders and knocking over a few traditions along the way. They’ve delighted audiences at festivals, private parties, in clubs and on the streets at farmer’s markets. Toes tap, people dance, kids like them as they swerve effortlessly from ska to celtic rock, from cajun/zydeco to klezmer, from swing and polka to the high seas and beyond. A Mad Maggies show is original and, simply put, big fun.

The Mad Maggies have been making crazy good music together for over ten years and have released 7 albums. They have garnered radio play around the world, and even caught the ears of movie director Paul Haggis who used their version of “Sleepy Maggie” to underscore an entire scene in the TV pilot of “the Black Donnelleys” which aired internationally. themadmaggies.com

Jamie Maschler

Carving her name in the music scene as Sanfoneira or accordionist, Jamie Maschler is among Seattle’s few female lead instrumentalist.

Maschler has played in venues all over the world including St. Lucia, Canada, Brazil, and Mexico. Jamie is fresh off a 9 city tour of Alaska with the performance group Letters Aloud. Jamie’s original music has been aired on the Radio in Seattle, Austin, Salvador BR, and Canada. In 2016, her accordion playing will be featured in PopCap games made for mobile devices.

Jamie has been featured performer and presented workshops on stylized Brazilian and Tango music for the Leavenworth Accordion Convention, National Accordion Association, Accordion Teachers Guild (ATG), Seattle Flute Society, and will be featured in 2017 at the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival.

“Jamie Maschler, knows the versatility of the accordion better then most. She has played the instrument since she was four and spent years perfecting and competing with pieces by such challenging classical composers as Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff. She has since discovered her love of the collaborative, rock and pop musical scene. Talents like her seem to be increasingly valuable.” – The Atlantic

Maschler is lead accordionist for the band En Canto, Seattle’s only Brazilian forró group. Hot off the press Solto Por Jeri, their first full length album, is filled with wo-pop originals and reimagined classics. jamiemaschler.com

Tangoheart

Tangoheart, featuring Bertram Levy is the premier Argentine tango ensemble in the Northwest. The quartet is dedicated to the performance of traditional tango from the golden age of tango and of the modern tango including the music of Astor Piazzolla. tangoheart.com

Those Darn Accordions (TDA)

America’s favorite rock ‘n’ roll accordion band can entertain any crowd. With two accordion players out front, and bass and drums holding down the rhythm, the band pumps out an outrageously original sound that works for almost any occasion, from giant festival stages to cozy clubs and unique corporate venues.

Fronted by squeezebox wizard/lead singer Paul Rogers, the band writes many original rock and funk songs, and also explores more-eclectic musical genres like ska, country and the prerequisite polkas. The aim is always to entertain, with an emphasis on solid musicianship and an unmistakable sense of humor.

Suzanne Garramone, the band’s other accordion player, adds fleet fingers and a variety of guitar effects pedals to produce a sound like nothing you’ve ever heard emanating from a typical accordion.
Drummer Bill Schwartz and bass player Lewis Wallace round out this one-of-a-kind band. thosedarnaccordions.com

Vickie Townsend

Vickie started playing piano accordion when she was eight years old, but put it aside until she became interested in the button accordion twenty five years ago. She’s been making music for over two decades with her husband Michael in their bands Beatnik Zydeco and Mojito. She traveled to Cuba to study Afro-Latin music and also had a recent opportunity to play in England and France. Powered by a modified Cajun button box, her repertoire draws from blues, Zydeco, Latin and folk.